Cross Your Heart

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Accessories can have a transcendent quality, as well-chosen pieces can elevate an outfit from so-so to stylish in less time than it takes to change shoes. Naturally we were amused to see that many of our favorite trendsetters seem to agree that "God is in the details"-at least when it comes to necklaces.

These famous faces bare their crosses in both statement-making and subtle ways. Mary Kate Olsen (far right) wore her oversized pendant on an extra long chain to the premiere of this season's Weeds as a stylistic nod to the character she plays on the show. Olsen juxtaposed this piece against a plunging v-neck t-shirt and her slightly disheveled version of Heidi braids. (Heidi or halo braids are a runway staple; they showed up at Bottega this fall.) Kate Moss, Ashley Olsen, and Peaches Geldof all went for more understated pieces, but their varied outfits show the omnipresence of cross necklaces.

The best place to buy a cross necklace (dainty or otherwise) is at either an antique mall or on eBay. If you want a larger, costume piece that has a similar look to the cross Mary Kate's wearing, keep your eyes peeled for vintage Kenneth Jay Lane-they're amazing. Ruby Lane also has a lovely selection of vintage Maltese crosses that are a bit more ornate.

We also found some in-store options that we love, like the organic simplicity of Kenneth Jay Lane's 18K gold-plated Bamboo Cross with Chain ($70). For sparkle that doesn't break the bank, check out the intricate detail of the Diamond Cross Pendant Necklace ($428) at Ross Simons. Azaara makes a Crystal Cross Necklace that has a slightly medieval look that comes on a chain link necklace ($220). Finally, there's the Cross Necklace, a long, triple strand necklace with a cross pendant, is extremely reasonably priced and available at Forever 21 ($6.80).